Thermally-controlled valve for low-water safety telltales



Dec. 4 1923.

G. A. SAGER THERMALLY CONTROLLED VALVE FOR LOW WATER SAFETY TELLTALESFiled June 8, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nmlll Dec. 4 1923.

G. A. SAGER IHERMALLY CONTROLLED VALVE FOR LOW WATER SAFETY TELLTALES Filed June 8, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jwventoz 4A. 64;; af-

I 45. mm

Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. SAGER, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

THERMALLY-CONTROLLED VALVE EOE Low-WATER sAEE'rr TELE'rALEs.

originai application filed March 4, 1920, Serial No 363,206. yliividedand this application filed June a,

1921. Serial No. 475,970;

TaaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it .known that I, GEoReE A. SAGER,

citizenof the United States, residing at Albany, in the. county ofAlbany and" State ofNewfYork, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Thermally- .Qontrolled Valves for. Low-Water SafetyTelltales, of which the following is a specification. i This inventionrelates to. an improved thermally controlled valve for low water safetytell-tales, being a division of my pending application. for low watersafety tellet'ales, filed March 4, 1920, Serial No; 363,206. a

Among other objects, the invention seeks to provide a valve which may beemployed in extremely short ranges and wherein the expansion tube of thedevice will normally be partially closed to thereby prevent circulationof hot water in said tube so as to result in a greater rangeoi expansionof the tube when subjected to increased heat.

Other] and incidental objects will appear hereinafter, V i

In the drawing:

Figure 1. is a fragmentary section of a locomotive boiler, partly brokenaway to show the mounting of the present invention upon the boiler;- I

Figure 2 is anenl'arged vertical sectional view taken medially through.the valve;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line. 3 3 .ofFi'g. '2,looking in the direction indicated by the. arrows;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig;3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

-Fig'. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 5 5 ofFig. 8, looking in the -directionindicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 .is astransversesectionon the line 6 6' of Fig; 1, looking in thedirection indicated'by the arrows; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section showing a slight modification, thecasing of the device'being' provided with a lining.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I have, for convenience,illustrated the present invention in connection with a locomotiveboilerA having apbition of the shell thereof broken away to show the crownsheet 1. Near this end of the sheet is disposed the present valve,indicated as a whole by the reference letter B, this valve controlling asteam line includinga pipe 2 leading to audible signal as shown in mypending application previously referred to. However, since this audiblesignal forms no part of the present invention, it need not be hereindescribed in detail.

The present valve is, for the most part, substantially identical withthe valve shown in my pending application. Accordingly, it becomesunnecessary to repeat in detail all of the various features of thevalve. There fore, only such parts of thestructure will be described 'asare believed pertinent to'a thorou'gh understanding of the presentimprovements. casing 3 is employed, the casing being provided, with a'seat 45 and flange 5 for attachment to the boiler shell as indi oneside, asind icated at 6, andprovided at its opposite side with' anoutlet 7. Within the casing and positioned axially with respect theretois a tubular member 8 having a shoulder 9 which seats in the bottom ofthe casing 3, said member being also formed with a reduced portion 10swaged over, as indicated at 11, to fixedly anchor the lower end of themember. The upper end of the member carries a reinforcing bushing 12which is brazed or otherwise suitably secured in place and supports ahardened steel cap 13. Secured to the upper end of the casing 3 is ahead 14: in which are mounted superposedlevers' 15 and 16 havingfulcrums 17 and 18, the fulcrum 17 resting against the cap 13, thusforming a compound lever action which will elevate the free end of thelever 16 as the expansion tube 8 lengthens due to heat. Mounted in thehead is a valve seat 19 surrounded by a chamber 20 and provided with aoounterbore 21'from which passages 22 lead to said chamber. Closing thecounterbore 21 is a valve 23, the

stern of which rests against the free end of served that archaniber isformed behind the disc and leading from said chamber. to the chamber 20is a minute steam passage 26.

Above the valve seat 19 is a chamber 27 to which steam is supplied atboiler pressure through passages 27' in the casing 3 and head 14 and.inserted in the casing to extend down to approximately the center lineof the outlet 7 is a tube 28 having an opening 29. The tube is closed atits upper end by a plug and is provided with an opening 30 incommunication with a passage 30 entering a second passage 30 leadingdirect through the casing and head to the chamber 20. Thus, when theexpansion tube 8 lengthens due to heat, the levers 15 and 16 will berocked to elevate the valve 23. Accordingly, since steam is supplied atboiler pressure in the chamber 27, the steam will, when the valve islifted, flow into the chamber 20 and thence through the opening 30 andtube 28 to discharge through the opening 29, the jet of steam beingexpelled from this opening forming a visible signal indicating operationof the valve 23 and at the same time causing a circulation of air aroundthe tube 8 which has vertical bafiie members 31 whereby air drawn in atthe open side 6 of the casing 3 passes downwardly as indicated by thearrows, on one side of the tube and upwardly on the other side thereofand out through the passage 7 which thus assists contraction of theexpansion tube 8 when the water level within the boiler is finallyraised. Connected to the casing 3 to communicate with the passage 30 isthe pipe 2 previously noted. When the valve 23 is opened to admit steamto the. chamber 20, steam will, of course, flow through the passage 26to rupture the disc 24, rupturing of this disc making a permanent recordfor detecting carelessness or negligence of the engineer.

The present invention consists in providing, in conjunction with thevalve as just described, a float for normally obstructing the expansiontube 8. Formed on the casing 3 at its lower end is an extension or'chamber 32 in which is freely disposed a spherical float 33 retained bya cross pin 34. The lower end of the expansion tube is notched at one ormore places, as indicated at 35 and formed through the extension atseveral points on a line with the low water level are openings. 36.Thus, as long as the water in the boilerremains at or above the level ofthe openings 36, the water will enter through said openings and at thelower end of the chamber 32 for holding the float against the lower endof the expansion tube cordingly,'when the water does become lowpartially closing said tube. Natural circulation of the hot water fromthe boiler into said tube will thus be retarded while the tube will, forsuch reason, become much cooler than would otherwise be the case. Ac-

, inthe boiler and the float drops to permit an increase of heat withinthe tube, a greater range of expansion of the tube will be had. Ifdesired, an asbestos lining 37 for the casing 3, may, as illustrated inFigure 3, also be employed in this construction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve mountedtherein, a thermally expansible element within the casing for openingthe valve, and means for obstructing a circulation of water in saidelement.

2. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve mountedtherein, a thermally expansible element within the casing for openingthe valve, and a float obstructing a circulation of water in saidelement.

3. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve mountedtherein, a thermally expansible element arranged within the easing foropening the valve, said element being open at its lower end, and meansfor partially closing the lower end of the element to obstruct acirculation of water therein.

' 4;. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve mountedtherein, a thermally expansible element arranged within the casing foropeningthe valve, said element being open at its lower end, and a floatpartially closing the lower end of the element to obstruct a circulationof water therein.

5. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve therein, atubular thermally expansible element within the casing for opening thevalve, and buoyant means disposed to overlie one'end of said element forobstructing circulation of water therein.

6. A thermally operated valve including a casing, a valve therein, athermallyexpansible element within the casing for opening the valve, anda float housed within the casing and movable to overlie one end of saidelement for obstructing a circulation of water therein.

7. A thermally operated valve including a a casing, a valve therein, athermally expansible element within the casing for opening the valve,the casing being formed with an extension, and a float disposed withinsaid extension and movable to overlie one end of having an end wall, avalve within the casing, a hollow thermally expansible' element arrangedwithin the'casing for opening the valve, said element being anchored atone end to said wall and opening therethrough and means to cooperatewith said end of the element for obstructing a circulation of Water Walland opening therethrough into the ex- 10 therethrough. tension, and afloat Within the extension to 10. In a thermally operated valve, acasing cooperate with said end of the element for 5 having an end Wallprovided With an extenobstructing a circulation of Water Within the sionbeyond said Wall, a valve Within the caselement.

ing, a hollow thermally expansible element In testimony whereof I afi'ixmy signature. arranged Within the casing for opening said GEORGE A.SAGER. [n s.]

valve said element being anchored to said

